Find the Number Pattern Worksheet

Number patterns are one of the first places third graders discover that math is predictable. When students study a sequence like 4, 7, 10, 13 and notice that every number grows by the same amount, they are building the algebraic thinking that later shows up in multiplication facts, function tables, and equations. This Find the Number Pattern Worksheet gives students focused practice at spotting a rule, continuing a sequence, and putting that rule into their own words. Patterns can grow by adding, by subtracting, or by doubling, so children learn to test a sequence carefully instead of guessing from the first two numbers alone.

This 3rd grade patterns worksheet moves through three levels of thinking. In Part A, students extend five sequences by two numbers each and then write the rule they used. In Part B, the missing number sits in the middle of the sequence, so students have to work out the rule from the numbers on both sides before they can fill the gap. Part C closes with a real garden problem: Maya plants 6, 12, and 18 flowers in her first three rows, and students complete a table, name the rule, predict row six, and explain their reasoning in writing. Use it as morning work, as a small-group warm up, as homework, or as a quick check before a unit test.

What’s Included

• 1 print-ready PDF worksheet
• Answer key
• 9 number-pattern problems plus a table-and-explanation word problem

There are three big reasons this Find the Number Pattern Worksheet helps children learn. First, it asks students to name the rule, not just fill a blank, which turns a guessing game into real reasoning. Second, it mixes addition, subtraction, and doubling patterns so children cannot lean on a single strategy. Third, the written explanation at the end makes students defend their thinking in a sentence, which is exactly what state assessments ask third graders to do.

Teachers and parents can stretch this skill well beyond the page. Build a growing pattern with counters, blocks, or pennies and ask your child to predict the next row before they build it. Clap or stomp a repeating rhythm and have students translate it into numbers. Look for patterns in everyday life, such as the cost of buying several of the same snack, the number of wheels on a line of bicycles, or the seats in each row of a theater. Skip-counting songs are another easy way to hear a pattern before seeing it written down.

Related Resources

• Patterns in Multiplication and Division Worksheet
• Pattern Pairs Arithmetic Patterns Activity
• Patterns Lesson Plan
• Counting By Threes Song